Vantage Point: The aviation photography of Jon Pece

Vantage Point: The aviation photography of Jon Pece

Symmetry. Underside of a KC-135R, McConnell AFB, KS. I elevated my lens by resting it on the electrical cable powering the aircraft during it’s preflight. What caught my eye was the extreme symmetry of this view: 5 KC-135s parked perfectly in the background and the yellow stripe on the underside of the aircraft matches up with the yellow parking stripe on the ground. D800, 14-24mm. Photo and caption by Jon Pece

'Some people use a tripod,' laughs Jon Pece, 'I used a KC-135 as a camera support.' The photographer has been afforded a unique perspective thanks to a long career as a military and commercial pilot. With his camera at his side and an eye for graphic elements and repeating patterns, Pece has produced a stunning portfolio of meticulous scenics. They're often composed through a tight window, both literally and figuratively, as he will have only seconds to snap off a series of shots before the moment is gone.

Pece is fascinated by the graceful beauty of form and shape, and on the ground he has also turned his lens towards aviation, food and equine photography. Take a look at his work and read our Q&A. You can see more of his photos at www.rockethorse.com and keep up with him on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Flickr.

High Flight by John Magee"Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of earth,

And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;

Sunwards I’ve climbed and joined the tumbling mirth

Of sun-split clouds – and done a thousand things

You have not dreamed of - wheeled and soared and swung

High in the sunlit silence. Hovering there,

I’ve chased the shouting wind along and flung

My eager craft through footless halls of air,

Up, up the long delirious burning blue

I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace,

Where never lark, or even eagle, flew;

And, while with silent, lifting mind I’ve trod

The high untrespassed sanctity of space,

Put out my hand, and touched the face of god."

This poem by John Magee says it all. This is what I love about aviation. There was no more joy than to go cloud chasing in a single engine jet. I began believing that "Peace was our profession". Sadly war became our profession. Don't damn the photos. Blame high level hubris.

Some of these are excellent, some I find mediocre, and that's down to personal taste. I am amazed though (as a 62 year-old American, who grew up with post WWII gloating) that folks would be surprised that these images inspire debate beyond the nuts and bolts of photography --how could they not? Especially on an international forum. If you don't like differing viewpoints from your own, the World-Wide-Web may not be the place for you

Impressive shots !! Excellent work from behind the lens and unique views. Love the perspectives and angles in these and that horse shot just breaks it up nicely. Good variety in these. Fantastic to see thanks. Danny.

I apologize for the unappreciative comments of others - flaming a**holes. Your well-crafted images are at their best telling the story of the moment. Veritable "street photography" of the air. You do a masterful job and certainly deserve to be very proud of the results. You have clearly amassed many of the skills needed to control the photographic medium. I stand in awe, sir.

I apologize that rjaywallace has to call me an a...hole for my opinions. Photography does not live alone in the society, it is tied in these worst inventions of mankind. Those are toys of warmongers.I´m very proud to be an a...hole and at the same time a human being sorry for killing and torturing.

Jorepuusa - A correction. My comment was not ever aimed at you. In point of fact, I never read any comment of yours relating to this Vantage Point piece. My comment was directed to another individual whose inappropriate comment I did read. I understand your concern regarding weapons of all shapes and sizes, but respectfully disagree with your conclusion in this context.

Then why not enjoy this work on its own and not basing off of what you've seen from others?

We can go to airliners.net or even flickr, scour through the millions of images, and find work WE consider superior, but that is missing the point. I'm afraid I don't see the value in telling us you were bored with these.

Really like #1. Wish the hanger had more detail, especially with Nikon DR. Still pretty good. #3 would have been awesome if full plane was in frame. In any case, some really good pictures with not usually seen perspective and good composition.

If your argument carries, my friend, and the US has no love for the Messerschmitt, then why are there at least 3 in an airworthy condition, a further 9 on display and 24 more listed as being in storage or under restoration in the USA alone? That to me is a more interesting argument. The US appears to have more than any other country in the world at this time.....

Unfortunately the America would not have won the war on its war and needed the Allies as well as and same applies to the British, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, free French, Free Finnish, etc. Imagine without these Allies and Germany hitting America with a V2 and a Atom bomb warhead.

The correct title of this should be "Vantage Point: The military aircraft photography of Jon Pece". No, I don't care much for glorifying photos of military equipment used for unprovoked attacks on other nations, resulting in millions of innocent deads, damaged lives, refugees etc. Some call it "collateral damage", but it's murder, plain and simple.

If we are talking about the people involved with flying these planes over many years and the death and destruction you talk about, have you ever stopped to consider , if not for them, where you might be now and whether or not you would live in a country where you are free to indulge in recreational photography? Have you ever stopped to consider how much lens development and camera tech comes from the armed forces? I agree with matt k and personally I enjoyed a perspective that I would never see myself.

My comment to you was judgmental and harsh based on your being off topic and your sweeping condemnation of a few thousand people you've never met. The great majority of the people you slammed are well educated, exceptionally well trained, highly disciplined and serving our country, sometimes in deadly dangerous circumstances. They are not homicidal maniacs who get off on killing whoever, wherever.

The core of all bigotry is a notion, "they're all alike." Conclusion jumping, as in, " There's also quite some hypocrisy in a photo of a man who says he loves his wife and flies to kill someone else's family," is the trademark of an ignorant blowhard.

There's a compelling case to be made that Pece and others like him fly to keep a whole lot of families from being killed.

As for being able to take differing opinions, I have much less problem with them when they're factual, logical and dispensed in appropriate places.

These are stunning air to air shots of military aircraft, yes they are used and have been used to bomb and destroy lives but such is the nature of these machines ( if nature is the right word) to be used in anger when the need arises.Remember, this is a camera and photography site not a political sounding board.By the way, those incredible photographic tools we all use contain electronics that were first tried in military hardware.

So I see these images in the same positive light I see WWII Allied planes, defenders of freedom. And they sadly killed thousands of women and children. But my brain is able to comprehend complexities and nuances that some of your leftist brains cannot. All of the recent drone strikes have not killed more than one WWII bombing mission and at the same time have killed many monsters who would behead the dumazzez commenting below.

That's because the terrorists the US (and other nations!) are fighting ARE, in fact, beheading people. The term "monsters" is just an opinion, and the poster is entitled to this opinion. You, on the other hand, make a preposterous numeric claim that, judging by your reply, you cannot provide sources for. This is not surprising since your statement is obviously false.

Judging by the number of your replies to this thread, you must have a particular ax to grind. That's your prerogative, but when you throw around nonsensical statements that you cannot show any evidence for, it just makes you look foolish.

Looking at Pol Pot alone, the victims are counted in the MILLIONS (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pol_Pot). This is leaving out the other charmers in your statement. Do you really think the CIA heavies have detained and "interrogated" more than that? How many Guantanamos would it take? How much staff?

This is my last post on this topic; not only is this a photography forum, but you seem so far removed from reality that no meaningful exchange is possible.

Yes, Paul, defenders of one particular kind of freedom. There is substantial evidence, in particular in the book "Icebreaker" by Russian researcher Viktor Suvorov, indicating that Russia in 1941 was preparing to roll across Europe all the way to the Atlantic. They had printed 5 million translation booklets for their troops in Russian, German and French with phrases like "Do not send zat telegram or I vil shoot you" and "do not vorry, ze Red Army is nearby". Their forces were in close attack formation, leaving them vulnerable to attack, instead of in spread-out defensive positions which according to military doctrine would have required 3 x the force to overcome them.

(Continuation of rant): I believe that the Allied forces recognised that both Fascism and Communism were terrible social systems, and opted to support the Russians as German economic growth was seen to be the differentiating threat, the Russians could be dealt with later (which they were). In turn, the Germans were fearful of being overwhelmed by a system that was capable of causing 20-30 million deaths in Ukraine and crushing the power of the individual. My view of these photos is that they are part of a war machine that for instance killed 800 000 Iraqi civilians for no good reason, on lies created by the politicians in direct contrast to the actual CIA intel, and that the Americans have effectively become the new Nazis.

Paul, how about the 800 000 Iraqi civilians killed for no particularly good or truthful reason, 500 000 of which elicited the comment on TV by Madeleine Albright that "the collateral damage was worth it"?

"Wonderful pictures of war planes, but where are the pictures of US military planes bombing children and other civilians to pieces? Cannot see any. Romanticizeing killing machines feels absurd."

There are far fewer civilian casualties today and far less collateral damage than there was in the past. During WWII entire cities were carpet bombed as the norm. You live free today because of the willingness to do whatever it took to secure freedom.

People like you that are obviously against war and constantly talking against engaging in acts of war actually make war far more likey since you are exactly what the enemy wants, someone who will not fight and defend themselves. You indirectly encourage the tyrants and terrorists in the world.

As for admiring such planes, I would say most people admire them not only for the protection they provide for freedom loving people around the world, but also simply for technological and aviation appreciation.

Christom and Dstudio are more correct but howaboutRaw has a point too. Yes, carpets were popular in the past and Agent Orange still lingers- however - fanatics blowing themselves and half a marketsquare up and recruiting others to do the same, not to mention the stance they take against homosexuals or women or dogs or pigs or menopause deserve every precision bomb there is.

That being said, I really like some of these avionics pictures, as well as that horses-with-super-rays-of-light photo. Nice to see a different perspective.

@HowaboutRAW Of course you are making an invalid comparison. America was in Vietnam helping a country defend itself from those who would take away their freedom. You are comparing collateral damage to what tyrants and terrorists do.

"How was the Vietnam war or the invasion of Iraq about freedom in the USA?"

Would you have been in favor of America taking a Switzerland type role during WWII? You can't be for freedom of some countries and not for others. No doubt you benefit today because of America's crucial role during WWII. Do people in Asia deserve less freedom than you?

The only area that I would question such roles for America is simply the financial cost of such a thing. Morally, one can not argue against defending people against tyranny and invasion.

@HowaboutRAW Actually, no, America did not "tyrannically" invade Iraq. If that were the case the destruction and damage done to Iraq and the Iraqi Army would have been far, far more worse and merciless.

America freed the Iraqi people from tyrants and introduced a democratic government and spent billions trying to rebuild Iraq, just as it did in Europe and Japan. No difference.

Then perhaps you are an America hater from North Korea, China, and Russia and have no appreciation or care for living in democracies and not under tyrants.

If you live in a free and democratic country then you have America to thank for that, not to mention a ridiculously endless number of products and services in your life that you likely also take for granted.

So long as there is truly free and open competition in a market then CEOs should be able to earn whatever a company is willing to pay them. Clearly there are also ways for people in free and democratic countries to seek regulatory reforms. In dictatorships and communist countries you would have no way of even attempting to do such a thing.

"What freedom do they have in Iraq and Afghanistan, now that the 'tyrants' were ousted? Oh, wait, I know: "freedom fries..."

What freedom did Europe have after the Nazis were ousted? The only difference today is that we live in an insane, upside down, politically correct world where all the enemy has to do is wait until the lunatic Western countries lose interest.

I live in Finland and I started this thread about US killing machines. We are a free and much more democratic country than USA cause those running for parliament or presidency here do not need to collect millions of dollars to be elected like in USA where only the rich can influence in politics.But.To thank America for a free Finland, bullsh.... USA delivered war airplanes for Soviet Union in WWII to kill Finnish soldiers who tried to save Finland from Soviet invasion. We got absolutely no help from USA in WW2 to fight for democracy. Not did Estonia fyi.Second world war came cause winner states USA among them tried to totally destroy germany after wwI. Most of the wars and destruction during last 100 years are because of USA in some way. And how about Indians, did they have democratic rights...in USA...when settlers killed them...

@jorepuusa Rubbish. You would be part of Germany or Russia right now had it not been for the USA and the Western Allies. Finland was also a principle economic aid to the Soviet Union for decades trading goods and services to an evil empire which perpetuated the misery and death of millions. When the rest of the world turned their back on Communism, Finland took advantage of it. And settlers? Common.

By fuesting (4 hours ago)@jorepuusa Rubbish. You would be part of Germany or Russia right now had it not been for the USA and the Western Allies.---------Unbelievable. You do not know history. USA and Finland were in opposite sides in WWII. And Finland an economic aid to Soviet...Hah. Look at the map and the sizes of two countries.. and try to say again that we helped anything.Now I understand the state of teaching of history in anglo american countries there seems to be none. Settlers killed hundreds of thousands of native americans ( diseases etc) and pushed them to reservates---democracy????

Don´t know who You answer to "Howaboutraw".USA sent military equipment to Soviet Union via Murmansk from 1942.US made AiraCobra fighters killed thousands of Finnish soldiers in hands of Soviet pilots. Hypocritical is the US way and we small countries pay the bill. This all started when I saw the ultranationalist US flag showing in cockpit ...machines that kill are not made for fun and the weakest are those who suffer the most..been a war photographer ( in Afganistan too) I know what I´m writing about.

No one disputes that the Soviet Union committed its own abuses. And it's not news to me that the US supplied the Soviets during the war. A point that I already made.

During the 1920s the US and England had ground forces in Poland backing a lowlevel "white" Russian war against the USSR. Bet the same is true of Finland. So there's more in the mix than simply the Soviets invading Poland, etc early in World War Two.

No learned American thinks the Soviets had little to do with beating back the Nazis, and defeating them.

As for the atomic bombings of Japan, there were higher immediate death tolls from other bombings, by the US. And the Japanese had inflicted serious casualties on US forces, in what was obviously a losing battle for the Japanese, when the US took Okinawa. So one horror avoided another. (And there may have been other far more secret motivations for using the atomic bomb, but that's speculative.)

There's nothing particularly covert about the US supplying the Soviets. Covert means hidden.

@Manuel As for you claiming not to be anti-American, I can prove that you are. Your defense is that because you claim to admire certain aspects of America that somehow you can not be anti-American. That's not a logical defense. You could then say a person repeatedly arrested for stalking a love interest is not anti-that person. You, as a lawyer, should know better than that.

A true respect for another *democratic* country and its culture is to *accept their choices* on how they live and conduct themselves *on all matters* that have nothing to do with you or anyone else outside of their country. That's where people like you, and many others from your part of the world, fail miserably.

For people like you that claim to like, love and admire America, I say "yeah, only if it does exactly what you want it to do." That stalker example I used is quite fitting in this case. Tell me Manuel, how much of your time do you spend slamming America's purely domestic affairs?

@Manuel As for the rest of your post starting with the financing terrorism part, explain how America did that.? Also explain how the financial situation of other countries is America's responsibility? Am I responsible for how you spend your money?

I think we'd be in a precarious situation if a scenario like the WWII era rose again.

If I believe the rhetoric I read around here, much of Europe is too wimpy or brainwashed to defend itself anymore. And based on the current administration's behavior, I'm not sure the US would care enough to defend them, either.

@photominion Your opening remark regarding the Confederate flag is a good example of the kind of pretense, ignorance, arrogance, and ultimately disrespect and hostility, that eminates from your part of the world towards America and its purely domestic affairs, not to mention it's culture and it's history.

Do yourself a favor and don't pretend you know enough about that subject, and American culture, to try and debate an educated American about it. You'll make yourself look very foolish. Besides, it's none of your business. A trip to Disney World and watching our TV shows and movies doesn't make that any less so.

As for the hate around the world for America that you speak of, the vast majority of that is due to ignorance and jealousy of America's success, strength, influence, and dominance of so many markets and industries. Of course you also have some people that are communists, and other forms of freedom hating tyrants, that will naturally hate America. Oh well.

Christom, You speak about freedom but You are not free enough to use Your own name here. That is coward action.There are no americans, You are all europeans who left to America because of religious reasons.Taliban is fighting for their country which USA is invading... The way USA equipped Taliban is doing it is another matter and another matter is their dark interpretation of Islam. But still they are people who love their country which has been taken by US terrorist.This poor christon asks me to think what indians did to settlers. The indians were trying to fight against those who tried to steal their country. Indians were native americans and loved their country which was stolen by whites who drove indians to reservates to die off tuberculosis and booze.The school system in USA teaches history etc like communists did in SOviet Union. Onesided and false. So sad that he and other americans believe that we love them because of Disneyland, bad movies and soap and handguns.

@Manuel "the US didn't train and finance the Mujahideen in Afghanistan, nor the 'contras' in Nicaragua, right?"

America did many things to address the greater threat that was the Soviet Union. You live free today because of that. If you value freedom and democracy then you would understand. Unfortunately your anti-Americanism is getting in the way of you being able to think and reason logically.

"And the subprime crisis didn't affect other countries. It was a strictly domestic affair, wasn't it?"

The financial affairs of other countries is their business and responsibility. No one forces anyone to do business with or invest in anything American.

"And you must be wondering why a true patriot like you gets ridiculed. They can only be anti-Americans, of course. Oh well...

First, I doubt very much you understand the word patriot. Most people from your part of the world do not. Second, you proved your anti-Americanism some time ago, and you continue to do so the more you write.

Christom, how do you explain the invasion of Iraq on lies created by US politicians in contradiction to CIA intel, causing the deaths of 800 000 Iraqi civilians, 500 000 of which elicited the comment on TV from Madeleine Albright "this collateral damage was worth it". Given the choice between an admittedly heavy-handed dictator who was in fact the right man to keep Iraq together, who was secular and virulently opposed to fundamentalist religious groups (Al Qaeda ring a bell?), had nothing to do with 911 and under whom ISIS would never have gained support in Iraq (after having being created by the US in Syria with USD 500 million worth of arms) who admittedly killed 5000 Kurds with gas weapons supplied by the US, or chaos in Iraq due to US destruction of the status quo and 800 000 dead civilians, which would you choose?

Christom, how do you explain the fraud in labelling worthless mortgage packages as AAA on a truly gigantic, world-altering scasle up to 2008, causing a worldwide recession that affected every country and was the worst since 1929, and requiring the bailout of the banks and their gambles by taxpayer money to the tune of trillions of USD?

It looks like some people are having a lot of fun here. And I hope you are.

Because in real life this is vile behavior, denigrating a person (or a people) for everything they've ever done wrong - as well as many things they haven't done wrong. It serves many evil purposes - all of them self-centered, I believe.

If any of you have the misfortune of living with a person who speaks to you this way every day, RUN - as fast as you can! THAT is about freedom!

@Stephan K You're trying to argue against the liberation, by America, of a country from a tyrannical dictator, that used WMDs, on the grounds of future failure of the Iraqis to secure and defend their newly liberated country. That is not logical.

As for the number of casualties, one will never know the true number but it certainly is a tiny fraction of the number that occurred during WWII. America, to a fault, bent over backwards to avoid collateral damage.

@Stephan K I already addressed the financial subject brought up. It can not be disputed. It boils down to everyone, and in this case ever country, being responsible for their own financial decisions and exposure. If you have trouble understanding that then you have a very poor grasp on the subject of finance.

@photominion "or the US of A might invade your home, kill your pets and torture the person that dares talking to you in such a way and then put someone there to govern your life..not even kidding anymore!"

If that kind of laughable ignorance keeps you from ever visiting America then I'm happy you feel that way, although we can make Disney World a safe zone for you.

While we are chatting, I gots to ask, seeing as your Swiss, does your country still make a lot of money hiding the money of tyrants and criminals from all around the world? Quite a lucrative business for a country too cowardly to take sides during wars, including the big one it most benefitted from.

Whilst the US of A were safely sitting on the other side of the pond, the Swiss were in a sandwich position between Hitler and the Italians and in no fugging place to take any sides.

On a side note:Did you know that the number of private people (percentage-wise) in possession of fully automated rifles in switzerland certainly surpasses ANY other country in the whole world?However, the number of deaths caused by guns is as low as it could possibly be..

There is something deeply wrong with American Mentality compared to European Mentality and with my sister being schooled in the USA I get a nice look into these problems. =)

@photominion "the US of A were safely sitting on the other side of the pond,

Your knowledge of history sucks. You so-called Europeans complain about America's reticence to join a war while complaining about America's willingness to go to war. You people need to make up your minds.

"the Swiss were in a sandwich position between Hitler and.."

So?

"the number of..people..in possession of..automated rifles in switzerland..surpasses ANY other country..?..the number of deaths caused by guns is as low as it could..be"

Do they have ammo? :) What does America's right to bear arms have to do with you?

"There is something deeply wrong with American Mentality compared to European Mentality"

European is not a culture. There is no such thing as a European mentality. The EU is a wannabe country. People respectful of other democratic cultures wouldn't make your kind of remarks.

"and with my sister being schooled in the USA I get a nice look into these problems"

@Manuel You're a lawyer and you have gone as low as someone can go in addressing someone to defend your arguments, by questioning their sanity and calling them names. The Nazis and the Soviets did the same thing. Shame on you. You can't claim to be "compassionate" with such behavior.

Christom...still asking. Why You are so afraid that You cannot use Your own name here? In can, jore puusa is my name- It is easy --behind a nickname-- to write that patriotic crap that Your singleminded rightist school system has put in You. I just wonder why america calls itself a democracy. If one does not have money, he cannot be elected anywhere. Is that what You are defending? This started from pictures of killing machines. So You like killing people in other countries. And, Taleban is fighting for their country USA is invading, so would You- if Taleban attacket USA. I say nothing about if they are right or wrong, but they are nationalists as You. You do not get the bigger picture at all. Just let the other nations do what they do and keep out of killing civilians all around. That is why all hate You and that is where terrorism starts. If someone innocent loses his child ( collateral or not) he`ll hate You for ever. USA is the reason for terrorism.

The plane you are referring, the F-35, is not what I was referring to. I said a new "attack plane."

I never mentioned anything about it already being retired.

As for the F-35 barely flying, that's just a simply silly and ignorant remark. Killing tanks doesn't require a slow flying aircraft either. The F-111 destroyed huge numbers of tanks and armored vehicles during the Gulf War.

Most new military aircraft have problems and they will continue to have problems that crop up throughout their lifespans that will require fixes and newly designed parts. I have intimate knowledge about that. There's nothing new about it. What makes the situation much worse today is people like you making silly and ignorant comments about a particular plane barely flying and others jumping on the bandwagon.

"The fact that you may have worked in military aviation doesn't put you inside the F-35."

No, not necessarily, but you should conclude from my remark that not only am I likely to be far more knowledgable about this subject than you, but I'm also likely to have inside knowledge of that aircraft. That world is far smaller than you apparently think.

Of course all versions of the F-35 need to be flying without significant problems. That's why is it still being tested and why it is still not mission operational in any of the services.

Don't wrongly assume that in my defense of the F-35 that I automatically support its existence. I,m only addressing the facts of the matter. Your kind of comments make it seem like the f-35 is unique in having "problems" during development, production and testing.That simply isn't the case. Not in that industry.

@HowaboutRAW No, I posted facts about the Vietnam War and Iraq. You don't want to accept them because you're likely anti-American.

As I said before, most new military, and civilian, aircraft programs have issues when it comes to development, production and development. I know that first hand. You do not. Your problem is that you think the F-35 is somehow unique in that regard. You then make silly comments like it can barely fly.

Why do you continue responding to me after making it clear I wasn't worth listening to?

Way to redefine "facts" to suit an end. You've made the same excuses used for the Iraq and Vietnam wars that have been used for years. And can't see how anybody but someone "anti-American" could point to the facts I have. You're quoting rightwing talking points. Those are called lies.

I bet the F-35 project is cancelled or takes another 15 years to deliver. It is unique in its fails, and the size of the project. The F-18 didn't have this level of failure.

@HowaboutRAW No, I'm quoting common sense, logic, and facts. Only people that do not appreciate freedom and democracy or that hate America would disagree,

What failures about the F-35 make it unique?

The F-18 was developed at a time where such information, true or not, was far more difficult to come by. How did you get access to such information? How do you as a bystander know how to sift through what is true or not in the media when it comes to aircraft development, production and testing?

Sorry to break it to you but you simply don't have access to the right and correct information to even begin to support your claims, nor would you even be able to decipher it.

I also don't care if the F-35 ends up being canceled. As I said before, I'm not defending the F-35 beyond the obvious silly and ignorant misinformation you are spreading about it.

Sure seems to me that the F-18 was announced to be ready, and then a year or two later it was on carriers.

Have no idea when it started, I'm sure it was in the late 1970s and I'm sure there were delays, but not ones that called the whole project into question. As I already said, the F22 flies, though it has an oxygen system which keeps killing pilots when it's used at very high altitudes.

If the aircraft is announced, approved, and then a schedule for integration into services is announced, but that keeps slipping and slipping again, it's a safe bet that there are really serious problems with the plane. Number one in this case, trying to make a plane to replace so many others--including, but not limited to, the vaunted F-16 and A-10.

Yes the A10 isn't technically retired yet but the Air Force wants to retire it and to replace it with the F35 (ew). I think the A10 has created a niche for itself from the very beginning that no aircraft since has been able to fill. The Skywarrior was its predecessor, another wonderful plane, but the A10 is better in almost every way.

I'd be down for a true A10 replacement (that was better than it) but not with what the Air Force currently wants to replace it with.

"The F-35 suffers from way to many roles being assigned to it--it was a dumb idea to attempt to replace 3-4 planes with one."

You're just regurgitating the silly stuff you read in forums, media, etc. You'll have to explain *in detail* why, in this case, it is a dumb idea. Don't take that as me not agreeing entirely, or partially, with your statement, but just saying that is simply not enough.

"I've not seen anything more than your claims of being an industry expert."

First, I never claimed to be an "expert" in anything. That's your word. Second, at any point where you are willing to actually discuss *in detail* the subject you are attempting to discuss, then I can assure that you will get a very clear indication of what I used to do for a living.

Note how the Humvee isn't really a replacement for a jeep, and it's not an armored vehicle. Treated as a light, 4 wheel drive, off road truck, it meets the requirements. But it's not those other things. The fiasco in Iraq proved it was never an armored car.

I am a Viet vet. No one hates war more than one who has been there. I flew missions there. I have never gotten over that war. I care deeply about my comrades who reside on the wall and those that are disabled along with those casualties that followed. But that is a whole nother subject .My pilot training led me to a 41 year career in aviation. I love airplanes both military and civilian and flew my share of them. I think these pictures are an excellently done record of activities surrounding mid-air refueling. I still love photographing airplanes. Those who flew them were doing their duty. One can most certainly fault those politicians who sent them to battle but our troops did and do their best to serve their country. This thread after all is about photography and not about war. There are plenty of places to show off one's expertise elsewhere. Airplanes do not have a conscience. They go where someone points them.

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What's the best camera for under $500? These entry level cameras should be easy to use, offer good image quality and easily connect with a smartphone for sharing. In this buying guide we've rounded up all the current interchangeable lens cameras costing less than $500 and recommended the best.

What’s the best camera costing over $2000? The best high-end camera costing more than $2000 should have plenty of resolution, exceptional build quality, good 4K video capture and top-notch autofocus for advanced and professional users. In this buying guide we’ve rounded up all the current interchangeable lens cameras costing over $2000 and recommended the best.

What's the best camera for shooting sports and action? Fast continuous shooting, reliable autofocus and great battery life are just three of the most important factors. In this buying guide we've rounded-up several great cameras for shooting sports and action, and recommended the best.

What’s the best camera for less than $1000? The best cameras for under $1000 should have good ergonomics and controls, great image quality and be capture high-quality video. In this buying guide we’ve rounded up all the current interchangeable lens cameras costing under $1000 and recommended the best.

If you're looking for a high-quality camera, you don't need to spend a ton of cash, nor do you need to buy the latest and greatest new product on the market. In our latest buying guide we've selected some cameras that while they're a bit older, still offer a lot of bang for the buck.

We've updated our waterproof camera buying guide with the latest round of rugged compacts, and we've crowned a new winner as the best pick in the category: the Olympus TG-6. That is, unless you happen to find a good deal on the TG-5.

Researchers with the Samsung AI Center in Moscow and the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology have created a system that transforms still images into talking portraits with as little as a single image.

K&R Photographics, a camera store in Crescent Springs, Kentucky, was robbed by armed men, who not only took thousands of dollars worth of camera equipment, but also injured the 70-year-old co-owner of the store.

The new Fujifilm GFX 100 boasts some impressive specifications, including 100MP, in-body stabilization and 4K video. But what's it like to shoot with? Senior Editor Barnaby Britton found out on a recent trip to Florence, Italy.

It's here! The long-awaited next-generation Fujifilm GFX has been officially launched. Click through to learn more about the camera that Fujifilm is hoping will shake up the pro photography market - the GFX100.

We've known about the Fujifilm GFX 100 since last fall, but now it's official: this 102MP medium-format monster will be available at the end of June for $10,000. In addition to its incredible resolution, the camera also has in-body IS, a hybrid AF system, 4K video and a removable EVF.

According to DJI, any drone model weighing over 250 grams will have AirSense Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) receivers installed to help drone operators know when planes and helicopters are nearby.

Chris and Jordan are kicking off a new segment in which they make feature suggestions to manufacturers for the benefit of all photographer-kind. To start things off, they take a look at the humble USB-C port and everything it could be doing for us.

The Olympus TG-5 is one of our favorite waterproof cameras, and the company today introduced the TG-6, a relatively low-key update. New features include the addition of an anti-reflective coating on the sensor, a higher-res LCD, and more underwater and macro modes.

The Leica Q2 is an impressively capable fixed-lens, full-frame camera with a 47MP sensor and a sharp, stabilized 28mm F1.7 Summilux lens. It's styled like a traditional Leica M rangefinder and brings a host of updates to the hugely popular original Leica Q (Typ 116) that was launched in 2015.

We've been playing around with a prototype of the new Peak Design Travel Tripod and are impressed so far: it's incredibly compact, fast to deploy and stable enough for the heaviest bodies. However, the price may turn some away.